Fading Reluctance
by Annabel Willow
Summary: What if Anakin had accepted the Zygerrian Queen's offer? Ahsoka, Obi-wan, and Rex are free, but how will the people of Kyros be saved? What will Anakin do now that he is Miraj's servant? Slaves of the republic arc AU. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everybody! This is an AU of the clone wars season 4 episodes _Slaves of the republic _and _Escape from Kadavo. _I hope you like it! All usual disclaimers apply.**

Chapter 1

_Kidnapped! During a Separatist invasion of the planet Kiros, thousands of peaceful colonists are abducted by Zygerrian slavers. Determined to find the missing colonists, the Jedi travel to Zygerria, home to the galaxy's most notorious slave empire._

Zygerria loomed in front of the many ships that were traversing to the surface. One in particular seemed to be flying extremely carefully, as if the occupants were trying not to get caught, which they were.

"It looks like Zygerria is a popular place these days," Anakin commented from the pilot's seat as he looked over at Rex. Anakin wore Zygerrian armor instead of his usual Jedi attire. The brown breastplate he was wearing had shoulder guards and vertical yellow stripes over the chest. Obi-wan and Rex also wore the same garments, while Ahsoka wore her usual outfit.

"Hmmm," Obi-wan said, "Whatever is happening is attracting plenty of high-class...scum."

The sip passed through the atmosphere and landed at the spaceport. Anakin, Obi-wan, Rex, and R2 exited the ship, all three men carrying helmets to go with their armor, while Ahsoka followed at a distance, having changed into a grey cloak that revealed only her eyes.

"Let's just hope the information our spies gave us about the Queen is accurate," Anakin said, fiddling with a small datapad. "Remember," he continued, "I'll keep her occupied while you locate the missing people of Kiros." He, Obi-wan and Rex donned their helmets.

Obi-wan was skeptical. "How do you plan on keeping the Queen occupied?"

Anakin chuckled softly. "Well, with my magnetic charm, of course." At this, Obi-wan sighed inwardly. _We're doomed, _he thought. "Oh. Of course," he replied. Anakin took his lightsaber off his belt.

"Hold onto this, will you buddy?" he said to R2. The little droid beeped in response and took both Anakin and Obi-wan's lightsabers. Then the doors opened, the ramp lowered, and the occupants exited.

"Remind me why I'm the one playing the part of the slave?" Ahsoka said, examining her garments. Anakin looked at her. "I tried it once. I wasn't any good at it. Besides," he smiled and crossed his arms, "the role of Master comes easily to me." At this Ahsoka raised her eyebrow. "Really? Well, this time try to be convincing at it," she replied sarcastically.

They walked through the dirty streets of Zygerria. Two creatures wrestled in the dirt. "Ugh," Ahsoka grumbled, "How can a civilization this advanced still practice slavery?" she questioned.

"It makes them wealthy and powerful at the expense of others," Anakin spat darkly. "Before the Hutts bought my mother, she was sold. In a market just like this."

As they continued walking, a male twi-lek fell down on the path in front of them. Anakin and Ahsoka stopped walking to observe what would happen. A male Zygerrian strode forward, shoving another twi-lek slave out of his way as he went.

"Get up, you useless skug!" he snarled. The twi-lek raised his head. "Master," he pleaded, "the bonds-they are too heavy," he pleaded.

"Tell that to my whip!" the slaver sneered, and drew his weapon. He pressed a button on the hilt, and a orange and yellow whip appeared. He cracked it, and then raised his arm to strike the slave. Instead of the whip striking the slave, his arm was stopped in mid-swing by Ahsoka's hand.

"You don't want to do that," she growled. The slaver yanked his arm away. "How dare you touch me!" he snarled. Anakin then stepped forward, pushing Ahsoka behind him.

"Excuse my slave...friend. She is freshly caught." The slaver, whose name was Atai Molec, gave him a suspicious look. "Hmm," he mused. "What have we here? You wear zygerrian armor, but you're not one of us. Who are you?" he crossed his arms.

"I've come for an audience with the Queen," Anakin explained. Molec gestured expectantly, "then you have an invitation. We can't just let anyone in to speak with Her Majesty."

"No invitation," Anakin replied, "but I do bring news. News the Queen will be eager to hear," he smiled. The Zygerrian was not impressed. "I doubt that. You're nothing more than a briggand," he sneered. Anakin wasn't fazed.

"I wouldn't say that," he replied cockily. "Especially when the Queen learns you've prevented her from hearing the news about...Bruno Denturri." At he mention of Bruno, Molec stepped forward, and two more guards ran up from behind. They were stopped when a small circular droid flew up to them, it's metallic voice saying, "Halt. Cease all hostilities. This man is to be escorted to the palace, by order of the Queen."

The slaver only frowned, and led Anakin and a still-cloaked Ahsoka away, followed by the other two guards. Unbeknownst to them, they were followed by Obi-wan and Rex.

They were led to the throne room of the palace. Small birds twittered and flew about. One landed on the Queen's finger, before flying off.

"Make certain all preparations are complete for this evening," the Queen ordered, looking at Atai, who was leading Anakin and Ahsoka into the room. The man bowed his head in acknowledgement. Anakin raised his head and looked directly at the Queen. She smiled slightly at him.

"And fetch refreshments," she ordered. Molec stepped forward and bowed.

"My Queen," he said, and bowed, "may I present Lars Quell." At this he gestured to Anakin.

"Hmph. So, you are the man who claims to be acquainted with Bruno Denturri?" she questioned.

Anakin nodded. "Yes, Your Highness." He bowed his head to pull off his helmet, and then looked back at her. "However, when I spoke with him, he failed to describe your beauty." He smiled at her.

The Queen chuckled. "Really?" she asked. "And did Bruno speak of my intense hatred of him?" she hissed, her lips curling into a sneer, "or did that escape his memory as well?" Molec pulled out a blaster and pointed it Anakin's face. Anakin looked at him, and pushed the blaster away.

"He needed not speak of it, Your Majesty. In fact, Bruno Denturri will not _be _speaking. Ever again." He smiled sinisterly at her. The Queen raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Bruno Denturri is dead. By my hand. Here is a slave from his palace," he announced, and gestured to Ahsoka. "Compensation for my efforts." At this he ripped of the cloak Ahsoka was wearing, revesling the guise of a princess.

"Unhand me, you briggand!" she cried. Anakin raised an an eyebrow at her, and she gave him a tiny sheepish grin. The Queen stood up and strode toward them.

"You impress me. Lars Quell," she dictated, her voice regal. Anakin pushed Ahsoka down to a kneeling position, while the Queen continued, but gestured for Ahsoka to stand. "She is quite a prize, and to have defeated Bruno Denturri in combat? Well, you must be quite the warrior." The Queen circled her. "Hmm. The slave is certainly of fine stock. Bruno always knew how to choose a beautiful female." She ran her hand down Ahsoka's arm, and the girl slapped it away.

"Don't you dare touch me," she snarled. The Queen frowned, and the two glared at each other for a moment before the Queen declared, "Though she will have to be processed." She turned back to Anakin. "Her demeanor leaves much to be desired. What is your price for her?"

"With respect," Anakin bowed his head slightly, "how can I price the beauty of this slave when I look upon the magnificence of Your Highness, whose beauty would make the brightest star seem dull in comparison."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, while the Queen was pleased. "Lars Quell, you flatter me."

"No, Your Majesty," he replied, smooth as ever. "However..." he leaned forward and began whispering in her ear, and she began to laugh. "Lars, stop it. Stop it!" She hit his hand away gently. "You are a bold one, aren't you?" she teased playfully, poking his shoulder. Anakin only smirked. "My reputation precedes me, then."

The Queen smiled. "Perhaps we can find a way to put a price on your slave. Come," she said, holding out her arm, which Anakin took,"walk with me."

They then walked off, Ahsoka in tow.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Here we go. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please R&R! All usual disclaimers apply.**

It was very busy on the planet of Zygerria. Ships swooped in and out of the atmosphere and officials of other worlds were arriving constantly. At the moment a large grey Hutt was slithering down the path. He pushed a nearby guard out of the way, and continued on.

After the Hutt had passed, Obi-wan turned around to look behind him. Rex ran up and gestured for him to come over. "Sir, take a look at this," he whispered. Obi-wan joined Rex and looked down into the pit, in which they could see a small figure huddled in the corner.

"Stand watch. I'll take a closer look," he commanded, and jumped into the pit. He knelt down and approached the figure. He gasped in shock when he realized who it was. "Governor Rashti!"

Rashti recoiled in terror as Obi-wan reached for him. "No. No!" he cried. Realizing that Rashti thought he was a zyrgerrian, Obi-wan removed his helmet. "Governor, I am a friend, a Jedi," he reassured the togruta as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm here to help. Where are your people?"

"They're...they're..." was all the Governor got out before he fainted into Obi-wan's arms. Kenobi then slung the togruta over his shoulders before jumping out of the pit and laying Rashti against a wall.

Rex raced over to them. "Sir, did you find out where the others are?" he questioned urgently.

"Not yet," Obi-wan replied, looking at Rex. "We've got to get him out of here." He looked up above him to where one of the large flying lizard-like creatures were. Using the Force, he propelled himself up to the roof of the building. He proceeded to throw the zyrgerrian of his mount, screaming as he went, and slapped the reins. He directed the creature to where Rex and the weak governor were.

"You there! What are you doing with that slave?" a nearby guard yelled as Jedi, clone, and togruta mounted the beast and took off. Unfortunately, Obi-wan was hit in the shoulder by a blaster shot and tumbled to the ground, taking Rashti with him. Rex flew off to get help, while Obi-wan Kenobi looked up to the sight of about a half a dozen blaster rifles in is face.

_I have a bad feeling about this, _he thought.

**FR**

While Obi-wan had been captured, Anakin was speaking with the Queen.

"Slavery is the natural order of things," the Queen said, waving a young twi-lek girl with a tray of drinks forward. Taking a drink, she continued, "the weak deserve nothing more than to kneel before the strong, bound to our service. I will need men with your...talents to spread our ways across the galaxy."

Unseen to the Queen, the slave girl lowered her tray and raised the knife that had been concealed under it. She swung her arm, but cried out as Anakin caught It and plucked the knife from her hand.

"Let me go!" she cried, ripping her arm from his grasp and falling down in the process. She crawled backwards as the Queen stepped forward, furious. "You dare raise a hand against your master? Clearly you require further processing," she spat.

"No! I won't go back there!" she cried, standing up on a ledge. She looked behind her. Anakin, realizing what she was about to do, called out for her to stop, but to no avail. The girl screamed as she plummeted of the ledge to her death.

"Such a waste," Miraj said, sitting down while Anakin stared down at the slave girl's body in shock. "But perhaps she was more trouble than she's worth. But you, Lars," she gestured to him, "you are proving to be quite resourceful." She sighed. "Very well. I will pay your price for this slave girl. It seems I am..." she chuckled, "in nee of a new servant." Anakin only looked away, before bowing and gesturing to Ahsoka. "She os my...gift to you, Your Highness."

"You are a man of many surprises. It pleases me," she smiled. "I wish for you to be my guest at the slave auction, to sit at my side." She held out her hand. Anakin took it, and walked off with her, Ahsoka glaring after them.

**FR**

The crack of a whip could be heard as it struck Obi-wan Kenobi's back once again. After he was captured, he had been taken to the cell he was in now, chained to the wall, and tortured endlessly for information.

"Well?" Atai Molec asked, "who is he?" He circled Kenobi and looked at the guard. The guard replied, "he hasn't talked, but I'll loosen his tongue," he replied, striking their prisoner again, while Molec continued to circle.

"Why would a slaver rescue a slave from the palace? It's suicide," he stated, while Obi-wan was struck again, this time turning his head toward the slaver, and his eyes widened, The other zygerrian raised the whip again, but Atai stopped him. "Wait," he said, walking over to the suspended Jedi. "I know you. From the hologram." Obi-wan grunted as the slaver grabbed his face and forced it to turn towards him.

"I never forget a Jedi."

**FS**

The courtyard was filled with cheers as a zyrgerrian stepped onto the raised platform in the center and held up his arms. "Your Highness, Zygerria!" he announced, "guests of a thousand worlds, you auction begins with slaves of unmatched quality, and an impossible quantity! I give you...togruta, from the Kiros system!" He gestured to the entrance, which opened, permitting Governor Rashti to hobble in, clutching his side.

Ahsoka gasped when she saw him. "Oh no," she said, eyes widening. She shared a look with Anakin while the zygerrian continued. "This handsome sample represents a lot of numbering. No less than fifty thousand beings!" The crowd roared in approval. "Note the compliance. Virtually untrained in combat, there will be no rebellion from these slaves!"

Anakin locked eyes with Rex before returning his attention to the Queen. "So," he ventured, "where do you keep 50,000 slaves like the people of Kiros?" But the Queen didn't respond. The door behind the Queen opened and Atai Molec entered. "Your Majesty, I have urgent news," he greeted her, before bending down to whisper in her ear. After a moment she waved him away.

"All will be revealed in time," was her cryptic answer, before standing up and walking to the edge of the balcony. She held her arms up for silence and announced, "Before we begin the auction, I would welcome a most special guest: Obi-wan Kenobi. Jedi knight."

Anakin and Ahsoka turned to the entrance in shock and watched Obi-wan walk out, followed closely by two guards. His entrance was met with great dissent, most of the onlookers booing as the Queen continued her speech.

"My friends, my good friends," she reassured them, "do not fear the Jedi. They are no different from others we have forced into submission, for they have forsaken their ideals to serve a corrupt Senate. Every Jedi has become a slave to the Republic. The Jedi Order is weak, and we will help break it."

She then reached down and picked up a whip that was laying on the edge of the balcony and turned to Anakin. "Teach the Jedi his place," she commanded, holding the whip out to him.

After a moment, Anakin took the weapon. He looked at it, and then smirked at the Miraj. He turned around and exited the balcony, Ahsoka gazing worriedly after him.

**FR**

Anakin was greeted with cheers as he made his way over to the platform. Obi-wan turned to look, but was forced on his knees with his hands on the back of his head. He stopped behind Obi-wan and both men turned their heads slightly to hear the crowd demanding the Jedi Master's whipping. "Looks like I have to rescue you again, old man," Anakin told his Master. Obi-wan seemed slightly relieved. "I..knew you'd have a backup plan.

Anakin looked up at the balcony where Queen Miraj was watching. "Prove to me you are a slaver," she commanded. "Swing that whip, or die beside him."

"Well those are some lousy options," he mumbled to himself. _Time to initiate plan B, _he thought.

He turned to look at Rex, who nodded. He turned to look at Ahsoka. She nodded as well. Turning to look at the Queen again, he bowed deeply and ignited the whip, saying, "you leave me no choice, Highness."

He stood up and saluted. Then he swung the whip, and many things occurred al at once. The whip connected with a nearby guard's arm. Anakin pulled back the whip while Obi-wan used the distraction to push the guard off the platform. R2 shot Anakin and Obi-wan's lightsabers into the air. Anakin caught his own, and then tossed toe other to Obi-wan.

"Guards! Subdue them!" the Queen ordered, while the two Jedi began to deflect blaster bolts shot at them. Rex tossed a thermal detonator at nearby zygerrians, propelling them out the window along with a cloud of black smoke. Then it was Ahsoka's turn to join the action. She knocked Atai Molec's blaster out of his hand and flung him onto his back, knocking him out. She then held out her hand and caught the lightsaber R2 launched into the air. Skillfully blocking two blaster bolts sent at her, she took care of the two guards on each side of the door.

Running around a corner, Rex came face to face with three guards each leveling a blaster at him. He stopped, but was tackled from behind and fell down, landing near Anakin and Obi-wan. Anakin turned to Ahsoka and called, "Ahsoka, the Queen!" Hearing this, the Padawan turned to the Queen and held her lightsaber close to Her Highnesses' slimy slaver neck. "Looks like your slave empire is finished-_again."_

The Queen only curled her lip in response. "Get that thing out of my face, you little skug!" she sneered, pressing a button on the armrest of her throne. Ahsoka screamed as electricity coursed through her veins and she collapsed at the Queen's feet as her world went black.

**FR**

Dozens more zygerrians raced into the courtyard and surrounded the two Jedi, who were standing back to back. One whip around Rex's wrist and he was out like a light. Anakin and Obi-wan then proceeded to block the whips that were directed at them. One caught Obi-wan around the wrist and another around the neck, and he was down as well. Only Anakin was left. Using the whip in his possession, he took out a few zygerrian guards. He twirled the whip in the air and dodged another, but one whip caught him around his wrists, flinging his ligtsaber out of his hand. He attempted to call it to him with the Force, but was stopped by a another whip wrapping around his left wrist. He screamed as yet another wrapped around his right ankle. Another wrapped around his neck.

From her place in the balcony, Queen Miraj watched Anakin Skywalker make his last stand against her warriors. "Such determination," she marveled in awe.

With great difficulty, Anakin stood up and bellowed in rage. He pulled himself forward in an attempt to free himself, but his back arced up in pain in response to a whip wrapping itself around his leg. Weary from the fight and exhausted by the pain all the electricity had caused, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker fell onto the platform, electricity racing across his body, his arm of flesh dangling over the edge.

**FR**

When Anakin came to, the Queen's harsh voice greeted him. "You destroyed my auction and frightened my customers." She turned to face him as he stood up. "Count Dooku and half my kingdom are demanding your death." Her voice cut off as her air was cut off and she clutched at her throat.

"You should have listened to the," Anakin spat. "My friends- where are they?" he hissed. The Queen continued to grasp at her throat. "Continue to misbehave," she wheezed, "and they die." Angrily, Anakin released her and looked at her expectantly with eyes full of fury as she coughed and rubbed her throat. She stood up and walked towards him. "A most curious Jedi who cares more about his friends than his own mission. Hero. General." She chuckled maliciously. "And now my servant."

Anakin turned away from her in anger. "I will _not _serve you." His words were laced with venom. The Queen just laughed and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your heart is not in your words. You will stand beside me. A testament to my power. Here," she held out his lightsaber, "my bodyguard will need a weapon." She chuckled as he snatched it from her. "And you need not worry about your friends. They will be quite safe," she sneered as she walked away. All Anakin could do was take his lightsaber and follow her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Here is the third chapter. Hopefully i'll get into the AU bit soon. Just hang with me until then. All usual disclaimers apply.**

Ahsoka Tano sat peacefully in her prison, meditating. She ignored the bird pecking at the cage, which was suspended high in the air. But although she didn't show it, she payed attention to Atai Molec, who was approaching her cage from behind.

"The Queen has promised that once the other Jedi is tamed, you will be _mine, _little skug," he sneered. Ahsoka didn't reply. She simply waved her hand, and Atai Molec found himself hanging onto the railing attached to the roof by one hand. After he pulled himself back over and stood up, Ahsoka's cocky voice sounded, "You'd better hope that doesn't happen.

Molec growled and grabbed a small cylinder off his belt. He pressed the button, and Ahsoka screamed as electricity raced through her body. After a moment, it stopped, and she gasped from the pain. The assault soon continued, and Molec's cruel lips curled into a smile as he heard her screaming.

**FR**

The zygerrian slave ship sped on toward it's destination of the planet Kadavo. It entered the atmosphere and soared over the crater-filled ground, heading toward a small facility. Upon reaching the landing platform, the ramp lowered and Obi-wan, Rex, and Governor Rashti exited, escorted by two guards. They were met by the sight of dozens of togrutas standing on small octagonal platforms.

"My people," the governor exclaimed, "we have found them."

They didn't have long to dwell on that fact, since obi-wan was jabbed from behind, the guard telling him to keep moving. As they continued to walk, Obi-wan could see a slightly chubby zygerrian lounging in a throne-like chair not far off.

"General Kenobi," the zygerrian addressed him, "you are the first Jedi I have entertained at our education center. Few possess a Jedi's resolve, and it is strength of will that is my greatest enemy,' he said, clenching his fist. He pressed a button on his armrest, and the platforms fell out from under the first row of togrutas. They screamed as they plummeted into what seemed to be a vast black pit of nothingness. Obi-wan gazed down into the pit, and glared at the zygerrain.

"Now that I have your attention, Jedi, be aware that it will not be you who suffers," his chair rotated away from them, "should you choose to defy me." The threat lingered in the air as Obi-wan turned and limped away.

**FR**

The two lizard-creatures flew side by side as they glided through the painted orange sky. One carried a guard, while the other carried Anakin ant the Queen. At the moment, the Queen was resting her head against Anakin's back with her arms wrapped around his waist, while Anakin controlled the creature. The Queen raised her head and looked at him. "You were once a slave, weren't you?" she asked, her golden eyes knowing.

"What makes you think I was a slave?" Anakin's hard voice answered, turning his head slightly to look at her.

"The noble selflessness in your eyes, and your commitment to the service of something greater than yourself. Your Jedi, the Grand Republic, even your friends." Her voice carried a hint of admiration.

_My eyes have a noble selflessness? _he thought. Anakin's eyebrows narrowed as he glanced back at her. "I don't see commitment as slavery," he said coldly.

"Oh, it is. When it comes at the cost of yourself," she replied."What you could be, with you willingly beside me, there is nothing we could not accomplish!" she reasoned, wrapping an arm around his chest and resting her head on his shoulder. _"We _are nothing. You have all the power," Anakin disagreed. The Queen raised her head to look at him. The creatures soared through the sky until they reached the palace. Anakin guided the creature to a landing spot, and dismounted. He then turned around, and taking her hand, helped the Queen off. He turned to go, but turned back to look at her when she didn't release his hand from her grasp.

"What if I freed your friends?" she proposed, releasing his hand and turning to stroke the creature. "Would you promise to stay? Commit to serving me?" She looked up at him, eyes hopeful. She turned away from the creature and approached him. "If a Jedi as noble as you gave his word, I think you might keep it," she said, placing her hand on her hip. Anakin turned away. "I don't trust you."

The Queen snorted in frustration. "Have I been anything but honest? I have no reason to lie, I am who I am. It is _you. _You who are the complicated one." She walked in front of him. "Now, Master Skywalker, the future of your friends lay in your hands." She turned away, looking back as she walked off.

"If they are to live as slaves, it will be you who keeps them that way."

**FR**

The mining facility was sweltering hot, causing all the slaves to sweat viciously, and the hard labor didn't help. Slaves moaned and groaned as they shoveled coal into mining carts. The zygerrian in charge of the facility flew his throne over to a particular group of slaves. "Obi-wan Kenobi," he sneered. "Once a Jedi Master, now a Jedi slave." He laughed cruelly. "Pitiful." Obi-wan watched as the zygerrian hovered off before turning back to shoveling. The slaves were hard at work shoveling, turning large cranks, pushing heavy carts, the list seemed endless.

A patrolling guard spotted Rashti resting against a pile of coal. He ignited his whip and struck his back. "Keep eyes on your toil, skug!" he snarled.

Obi-wan watched as a nearby togruta pushed a cart. "Everything about this place is designed to shatter the will," he told Rex. "It has already begun to affect these poor people," he said as he watched Rashti being whipped. His shock collar crackled as a whip struck it. The guard jabbed a finger at him. "Speech is forbidden."

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again," Obi-wan apologized. The guard struck Rashti again. "Stop!" Obi-wan begged. "It's my mistake. Leave him alone!" The guard just curled his lip as another stabbed Obi-wans collar with an electro-jabber, and the Jedi cried out and clutched his neck in pain. After a moment, the electro-jabber was taken away. The other guard stepped forward menacingly. "Now my slave gives _me _commands?" He pulled out a whip and struck Rashti's back, while yelling, "beg! Beg me before this one dies because of you!"

On his hands and knees, Obi-wan held up his hand. "No. Please. Forgive me...Master." Laughing, the slaver walked off. Obi-wan crawled to Rashti and placed a hand on his shoulder, but it was slapped away. "Keep away from me," he pleaded. "Jedi only make things worse!" Obi-wan only looked at Rex, and hing his head in defeat.

He didn't know what to do.

**FS**

Anakin and the Queen strolled together down the streets of Zygerria, Miraj's arm linked around his.

"Have you considered my offer, Skywalker? If you vow loyalty to me, I will free your friends," she promised. Anakin stared straight ahead, his blue sapphires now shards of ice. "It's not an easy decision." The Queen smiled. "Curious. I thought the Jedi were selfless, placing the needs of others before their own." Anakin didn't say anything, and even if he was going to, it would have been interrupted by a guard running around the corner. The guard stopped and bowed. "My Queen, I bring word. Your guest Visquis from the Exchange has arrived." The Queen sighed as she released Anakin's arm and began to walk off towards the palace. "Sooner than anticipated. Make sure that all the preparations have been made." The guard bowed and sped off. "I would that you not attend this meeting. I do not think that it would be a good idea," Miraj told Anakin. "Can I trust you not to run away?" she gestured to his lightsaber.

Anakin looked at his weapon, and then snatched it off his belt. He stuck the buisness end of it in her face and said harshly, "I don't run away from anything, Your Highness." The two guards behind her ran up and leveled ther blasters at the back of Anakin's head. The Queen just chucked and took the lightsaber from him. She then turned around and began to walk away. One of the guards jabbed him in the back, and he backed up in a corner, hands in the air. For some reason, the words the Queen had told him earlier ran through his head: _The future of your friends lay in your hands. If they are to live as slaves, it will be you who keeps them that way._

That was something he would not let happen.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Hello everyone! Well, I'm finally getting into the AU bit. FYI, Count Dooku will not be showing up in this story. I hope you all like it so far and continue to enjoy it. If you have enjoyed this story so far, please read my other story, _Saving Anakin Skywalker. _All the reviews I have gotten on it are positive, so I think you should read it if you haven't. **

**All usual disclaimers apply.(P.S. If you need an idea about what the transmission of the Queen looks like, remember the hologram of Deputy Minister Jerec in the season 2 episode _Duchess of Mandalore.)_**

Obi-wan was in despair. He had to help the people of Kiros, but he couldn't help them without causing the slavers to punish the people, therefore doing more harm to them than good. He continued to labor heavily, when a whip struck his back. _What wrong have I done now? _he thought worriedly, as he looked up at the slaver. "Get up, skug. The Queen has ordered your release," he spat disgustedly. The slaver then turned and pointed at Rex. "You too. Get moving." Rex gave Obi-wan a questioning look, and Obi-wan just shrugged. Neither of them knew why they were being released. That was something to figure out later, though. They needed to focus on the here and now.

They walked wearily away from the people of Kiros and followed the slaver until they had exited the facility. From there, they were escorted to a ship and shoved roughly inside. Once they were inside, their shock collars were removed, and Obi-wan's lightsaber and Rex's blaster were returned to each of them, respectively. A medical droid attended to them as well while the zygerrian talked. "You need not worry about your friend. He will rendezvous with you after you reach your destination. Jump to hyperspace, and he will follow. He will know where to find you. The coordinates are already in the hyperdrive." With that, the slaver left, the ramp closing behind him. The Jedi and Clone stood, wondering what the Zygerrian had meant by his confusing words.

"Why do you think we're being released?" a feminine voice piped up from behind them, causing them to jump. A very _familiar _female voice. They spun around, and Rex was the first to reply. "Commander Tano? What are you doing here?" he asked, his normally impassive face clearly expressing the surprise and confusion he was feeling.

Ahsoka just shrugged, holding out her hands for emphasis. "Beats me. One of those sleemos came and told me that the Queen had ordered my release, and not to worry about my friends since they would be joining me soon. Then he brought me here and left. He gave me my lightsaber and took my shock collar off before leaving, though, which surprised me." She looked at Obi-wan, confused. "Back to my first question: do you know why we are being released?"

Rex and Obi-wan just shook their heads. "We were told the same thing as you. I have no idea why the Queen would want to release us. We destroyed he slave auction and got rid of many of her guards. It just doesn't make sense." Rex nodded, and jumped in. "Besides, why would a slaver want to free her slaves? She would want to keep them, not get them off-planet. And if she had sold us, they wouldn't bother with returning our lightsabers and removing our shock collars." Obi-wan nodded his head in agreement.

"What makes sense to me," Ahsoka replied, walking over to the hyperdrive, "is to find out where the Queen wants us to go. That way, we might find out a bit more about what she's up to." With that, she engaged the hyperdrive, stars turning into blue streaks as they made the jump to hyperspace.

**FR**

Did Anakin regret his choice? He didn't know. Obi-wan, Ahsoka, and Rex were free, thanks to the deal he had made, but at what cost? He was now a servant to the Queen, and the people of Kiros were nowhere near freedom. What would Padme think when she found out? What would she do? He contemplated all this as he followed the Queen to her throne room, where a tall quarren awaited them. Upon seeing the Queen, the quarren bowed deeply.

"Your majesty, it is good to see you. Thank you so much for inviting me to your planet," Visquis thanked her graciously. The Queen smiled. "It is my pleasure, Visquis." She paused. "You must be tired after your journey. Come, let us have refreshment," she proposed. Visquis nodded. "Refreshment would be most welcome," he thanked her graciously. The Queen ordered a nearby slave to fetch the necessary

food and drink, and the slave rushed off to fulfill his duty, lest he be punished for disobeying. Anakin was surprised at how well the two seemed to get along with each other. _On the contrary, it really isn't surprising at all, _he reprimanded himself as he watched the Queen converse with the Quarrren. _After all, they're both slavers. _

"...and I am sure that you will be very pleased at the grand selection of slaves we possess," the Queen assured Visquis. "I myself have acquired a new slave that I have appointed as my personal bodyguard. He is...quite the character." She smiled at Anakin, and Visquis eyed him as well. The slaver met the Jedi's eyes, and Anakin held his gaze, his eyes hardening. "Indeed," Visquis replied, as he continued to look Anakin up and down, before turning back to the Queen. "You've put him to good use, but he seems a bit too headstrong. Perhaps something should be done about it." The Queen simply looked at Anakin and smiled. "Perhaps." She then waved over a nearby guard. "Your Highness?" the guard inquired. While keeping her eyes on her Jedi slave, she instructed the guard, "take Skywalker and prepare him for the meeting." The guard bowed and escorted him out.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Anakin and the guard reached their destination: a dank room that greatly resembled a prison cell. "What am I doing here?" Anakin questioned the guard. The guard smirked and pushed him up against the wall. "Time for a little nap, skug."

That was all Anakin remembered before the stun bolt hit him, and he collapsed limply to the floor.

**FR**

Blue streaks of light returned to their normal visage of stars as the ship exited hyperspace. Obi-wan, Rex, and Ahsoka leaned forward eagerly to find out where the Queen had sent them to. As the large city-planet loomed before the trio, all three jolted back in shock and confusion. _"Coruscant? _Of all the places in the galaxy, why _Coruscant?"_ Ahsoka cried indignantly, looking from Obi-wan to Rex, obviously wondering if either of them knew the answer.

"I agree with the Commander. It just doesn't make sense. Why would she send us to the capitol of the Republic?" Rex reasoned. "By sending us here, it gives us the opportunity to send reinforcements to the planet. It's completely illogical." Rex looked at Obi-wan. "What do you think, General?"

Obi-wan rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "I don't think that the Queen sent us here voluntarily. Someone else wanted the hyperdrive to be programmed for Coruscant, and they had a reason for doing it. Something tells me that were going to know where whoever programmed this ship wants us to go very soon." Just after he finished saying this, the comm unit on the control panel beeped. Obi-wan pressed the button to show the message, and these words rolled across the screen: _After you've reached __Coruscant, go to the Senate building. You need to see what's going to happen. I'll meet up with you later. I'm sorry. -A. _

They stared at the message in shock. Ahsoka was the first to speak. "What does Anakin have to do with this? Why did he send us to Coruscant? What's going to happen in the Senate?"

Rex answered, "I don't know, but I sure as heck don't like it."

The ship entered Coruscant's atmosphere, and Obi-wan landed it on a landing platform close to the Senate building. They entered and made their way to the main chamber where the delegates were debating. The three companions observed their surroundings, staying in the shadows. Obi-wan whispered to the others, "I have a bad feeling about this.

**FR**

It was a typical day in the Senate. Chancellor Palpatine stood in the central pod listening to the delegates debate. They were arguing back and forth about producing more clone troops and how much money it would cost, and had been for hours. Finally Bail Organa stepped forward moved his pod to the center of the chamber. "Friends, please. Producing more troops will cost the Republic money, and money is something the Republic is losing. We can't afford more troops!"

Lott Dodd came forward. "Yes, but isn't it worth it if we win this war?"

The Chancellor looked down at the communications device on his podium. "Excuse me, Senators, but we have an incoming transmission from the planet Zygerria." He pressed a button, and an image of the Queen appeared. _"Please forgive my intrusion, Senators," _she smirked, not sounding sorry at all, _"but I bring news that I believe the Republic will be eager to hear. I trust that your Jedi have arrived without complication?"_

Padme Amidala was the next to speak. "What Jedi? The Republic never sent any Jedi to Zygerria," she stated, confused.

The Queen's smirk grew larger as she examined her nails. _"The Republic might have not, but the Jedi Order certainly did. Isn't that right, Master Kenobi?"_She smiled wickedly at him, and her hologram flickered. Obi-wan stepped forward. "Why did you send us here?"

"_My dear Master Kenobi, understand that it is not I who sent you back to Coruscant. I was quite against it, but he insisted. He wanted to make sure that you would be free before he agreed to my offer." _Her smile transformed into a grimace as she continued, _"I despised his terms, but I got a new slave, and he saw that you got your freedom. I am a woman of my word, after all, and it appears that he honors bargains as well."_

"No," Obi-wan gasped. "He wouldn't!" This outburst earned him questioning looks from Ahsoka, Rex, and many senators, including Padme.

"_Oh yes, he would. If his friends' freedom is at stake, he would. A former slave would never want others, especially those close to him, to live as slaves." _She smiled, and her hologram disappeared, only to be replaced by another. Everyone in the Senate chamber leaned forward, waiting. Obi-wan's eyes were fixed on the hologram. He watched as the Queen made her offer, and Anakin sticking his lightsaber in her face, he watched him back up in a corner, hands raised. _"Wait," _Anakin's voice echoed throughout the chamber. Obi-wan watched the image of the Queen turn around and look knowingly at his padawan. Anakin lowered his hands, and hung his head in what looked like defeat. He regained his composure and his gaze hardened. _"They will have their shock collars removed and their weapons returned to them. They will be taken to a ship, and they will be allowed to leave the planet without being followed. They will be told that they need not worry about me, and I will rendezvous with them later and will know where to find them. A medical droid will be waiting for them in the ship. I will be allowed to make all the necessary modifications to their ship to insure that they return to Coruscant. Those are my terms."_

The hologram of the Queen paused thoughtfully, laying her fingers on her cheek. _"And if I agree to these terms, you will commit so being my servant?" _The hologram Anakin closed his eyes and clenched his fists. He then opened them and looked at the Queen. _"I swear on my life." _The Queen smirked at him, and her cruel voice rang in Obi-wan's ears. _"Then we have a deal."_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Well, here it is! The next chapter. Sorry it took so long with chapter four. I have a school project that i'm working on and I had some serious writer's block. I hope you like the next chapter! As always, please R&R! I own nothing.**

Out of all the beings in the Senate building, four of them were in complete, absolute, and utter shock. They watched as the hologram of Anakin committing his service to the Queen fizzled out. Unbeknownst to these four beings, they all cried out the word 'no' at the exact same moment. Yes, they knew that Anakin cared for his closest friends above all else, but they never imagined that he would do something like _this!_ Obi-wan, Ahsoka, and Rex stood in silence together, side by side. After the hologram had disappeared, Ahsoka collapsed into Obi-wan's arms and burrowed her face into his shoulder. She began to release a flow of silent tears, clutching Obi-wan tighter. Obi-wan, realizing that the padawan needed comfort, wrapped his arms around her protectively.

They stood like that for a few moments before yet another hologram appeared. Upon seeing it, Obi-wan wasn't sure wether to be filled anger, or relief. He released Ahsoka, who then looked up at Obi-wan. Following his gaze, she gasped at the sight that now captivated her attention, and the attention of the entire Senate: the hologram.

The hologram itself wasn't what held their attention (after all, how many times had they used a hologram to communicate with one another), but whom the hologram revealed- Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi Knight had been forced into a kneeling position, and his arms were securely chained to the ground in an upside-down v, not permitting him to move them at all. He was bent over slightly, and his head was resting on his chest in obvious exhaustion. Anakin's clothes were ragged and torn, and he was missing a boot.

He looked like a broken man, one who had surrendered himself to save everything and everyone he loved, and yet by saving these things, he gave up not only himself, but also everything he had fought to save and more. It broke Obi-wan's heart to see his former padawan like this. After a stunned silence, he tentatively spoke.

"Anakin?"

The captive Jedi's head sank lower onto his chest. Obi-wan could tell that it was torture for Anakin to have others see him like this: helpless, in despair. In spite of all this, he answered- _"You're safe. Good. I was worried that she wouldn't come through."_

"Well, she did. Anakin, _why?" _Obi-wan begged. That one word summed up all their questions. Why?

He watched as Anakin raised his head slightly, enough for the elder Jedi to see his face. His eyes were filled with something that was beyond pain, beyond the worst agony imaginable. _"I couldn't let any of you live like that knowing that I could have done something to prevent it. I lived that life for six years, Obi-wan. I know what it's like. I've experienced the pain, and I'm not willing to share that pain with_ _you."_ He smiled bitterly. _"Besides, someone else did the same for me. I decided to repay the favor." _

The color fled from Padme Amidala's face.

He closed his eyes. _"Please, Obi-wan. I want you to do one thing for me."_ At this, he looked up at Obi-wan again. Obi-wan nodded. "Anything." Anakin took a deep breath before continuing._ "Don't come __after me. I don't want you, or Ahsoka, or Rex, or anyone, to come after me. I'll be fine. Just take care of yourselves, and please, take care of the_ _senator for me."_ Another deep breath. _"I'm sorry." _Then the hologram of Anakin Skywalker disappeared, and the holoprojector turned off.

This time, it didn't come back on.

**FR**

Padme didn't know wether she wanted to burst into tears or scream in frustration. It took all of her self-control to prevent her from doing either. Her husband had been reinstated into a life of slavery. He was staying on a foreign planet far away to serve some Queen that he had pledged service to so he could ensure that those he cared about were freed. He had willingly given up his freedom for them.

He was never coming back to her.

That fact weighted her down, kept her anchored to reality. She didn't know which was worse: knowing that he was never coming back, or that her husband didn't want anyone to come after him. How could he ask her to do that? To leave him there for the rest of his life, living as a pawn in that wretched woman's game of chess? He had surrendered himself to her. The moment Padme knew that he had done that, she knew that the winning move had been made. The Queen of Zyrgerria had triumphantly declared 'checkmate.' Yes, some of the pieces had been saved, but of what use were they when she didn't possess the king?

He had said that someone had done the same for him. The horrible thing about that statement was that she was the only one who knew what he meant. How could anyone else? Well, aside from Jar Jar, but he wouldn't remember. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift down memory lane...

_Anakin had been chasing Rish Loo for a while. He hadn't come back yet, and I was getting worried. I began to pace across the floor of the gungan medical center, constantly checking my comm unit for messages. It appeared that I wasn't the only one worried, because Jar Jar walked up to me. "Whersa Ani? Hesa been gone muy long time." _

_I looked at jar Jar helplessly. "I'm not sure, Jar Jar," I murmured. Where could Anakin be? Almost instantly my mind raced through horrible scenarios of what could have happened to him. I brushed these thoughts away, assuring myself that I was overreacting. My comlink beeped, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "Anakin." I answered the call, and felt my blood turn to ice when I saw who was on the other end. Dooku._

"_Senator Amidala, we meet agin," he greeted me pleasantly. "I must regretfully inform you that young Skywalker has been...detained." He smirked evilly. Rage filled me upon seeing his expression, and my eyes turned to angry slits. How dare he touch my husband! "What have you done with Anakin?" I seethed. _

"_Now, now, Senator, let's not become emotional," he chastised me. Suspicion seized me. Dooku had taken Anakin for a reason. I just didn't know what that reason was. "What do you want, Dooku?" I spat, my expression changing into one of suspicion. Dooku smiled smugly in response. "I'm glad you asked." Oh no. I knew deep down that I wasn't going to like his answer. Dooku continued, "I could be persuaded to return Skywalker to you, in exchange for...General Grievous."_

_And there it was. How dare he. The Separatists had known that the Republic had captured their General, so they decided to even the score. Curse Count Dooku to the deepest, darkest corner of the Force. He **knew** that I cared for Anakin, and that he would cripple me by this proposal. I knew that I couldn't agree to it. My steely gaze faltered, and I looked away from the hologram. "I...I can't do that." I regained my composure. "I'm sorry." Dooku smirked. "You soon will be." He raised his hand. A signal, I realized. Strangled screams pierced my ears and my blood turned even colder. "Stop!" I begged. "You cannot torture a prisoner!" The screams ended. "Torture? I don't know what you mean," Dooku answered, seemingly incredulous. But I heard the pleasure in his words. The Count held up a finger. "I'll give you an hour to consider my proposition. I'm sure you will make the right choice."_

_The hologram disappeared, and Jar Jar approached me. "Yousa have to trade with him," he encouraged me. I walked away to look out the window. "I can't, Jar Jar. With Grievous captured, we could win the war." Leaving Anakin in the hands of the Separatists to be tortured until death, most likely. "But..but Padme, hesa our friend." I turned to look at him. "I know," I replied, my voice filled with pain. "I know, Jar Jar."_

"_Mesa think yousa have to deal," Binks said. Boss Lyonie, who had heard the entire conversation between Dooku and myself, jumped in. "Yousa should listen to Binks. Hesa right." Torn, I looked down. Anakin forgive me._

_I stood on the Nabooian plain, along with Queen Neyutnee, Jar Jar, Boss Lyonie, captain Typho, and a captive General Grievous, waiting for the Separatist ship to arrive. It finally came, landing slowly. The ramp opened, and a tactical droid exited. It was followed by two battle droids dragging an unconscious Anakin. Two more battle droids with blasters followed those. The took a few steps out before stopping. The tactical droid stepped forward. "Release the General," his robotic voice commanded. I kept my eyes on Anakin while Captain Typho nodded to the gungans guarding Grievous. One poked him in the head with a spear, and he growled before walking across to the droids. The battle droids waked towards us, passing Grievous on the way, who cackled at Anakin. The droids took a few more steps before stopped and tossed Anakin unceremoniously to the ground, where he landed at my feet. Kneeling down, I touched his back gently, before turning to glare at the droids. The tactical droid threw Anakin's lightsaber, which bounced off his back and rolled to the ground, before turning and joining its' companions._

_I rolled Anakin over, his head resting on my lap. His azure eyes cracked open, apologetic. "Padme." He took a breath, wincing painfully. "I'm sorry." So he knew. I brushed off his apology. "Shh. It's alright, Ani." I raised my head to watch the Separatist ships leave. They soon vanished from sight, and I helped Anakin to his feet and led him away._

_Anakin was back with me, where he belonged. That was all that mattered._

The memory faded, and Padme realized that there were tears running down her face. She brushed them away quickly, hoping no one had noticed.

She hoped Anakin would forgive her, because she wasn't going to leave him in the hands of that Zyrgerrian scum.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Hello, hello. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it, and I hope you have enjoyed my story this far. Thank you to those who have added my story to their alerts and subscriptions, and thanks to my family who always listens to me rant about my writing. As always, I don't own anything.**

When one pictured the Jedi Temple, the image that usually came to mind was of a majestic yet elegant building. After all, how else would one envision the home of the noble protectors of the Republic?

You would think it would have a feeling of strength and stability, of clam and discipline.

No one would expect it to feel solemn.

That single emotion hung in the air, tainting it with its foul stench. Every Jedi felt it. It pressed in on them, suffocating them, smothering them. It clogged their noses, making it hard to breathe. It clouded their vision, making it hard to see. The feeling was everywhere, and no one felt it more than Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano.

The day had not been going well for Ahsoka. After watching her Master be publicly humiliated in front of the entire Senate by that horrid wretch of a woman who should be banished into the deepest, darkest, most painful corner of the Force, she had been specifically told that he didn't want her coming after him. Not just her, he didn't want _anyone _to come after him, not even Obi-wan. Now that was unusual. Anakin wasn't one to deny help when he needed it, and boy, did he need it. She remembered when they first arrived on Zyrgerria- the message to Obi-wan, Anakin's reaction, and Obi-wan's words to her: _As a child, Anakin and his mother were sold into slavery. _If her Master had lived as a slave, why would he reenter the life he had surely despised?

But it made sense. Ahsoka had seen firsthand how far her Master was willing to go to protect those he cared about. She had stared on helplessly as Anakin had kneeled before Cad Bane and opened the Holocron to save her live. _I can't let you die, Ahsoka,_ he had told her. She remembered when she and Barriss had been trapped under the rubble of the droid factory, waiting to die. His face was so relieved when he found her. When she had been rescued from being hunted by trandoshans, Anakin had apologized to her over and over again for not protecting her. No matter what the cost, she knew that her Master would do nearly anything to keep others safe.

Ahsoka was contemplating all these things until one question brought her flow of thoughts to a screeching halt.

_Of all the things to do, why this?_

**FR**

Obi-wan took his seat on the Council. At the moment, the room was filled with pensive silence as each Jedi contemplated the situation.. "Hmmm. A difficult dilemma, this is," Yoda mused. "Rescue Skywalker and the people of Kiros, we must." The rest of the Council nodded in agreement. Mace Windu narrowed his eyebrows. "What should our strategy be for rescuing the people of Kiros?" he asked. Unnoticed to the Council, Obi-wan bristled at the fact that the Korun Master had only mentioned the people of Kiros, and not Anakin, as if the Jedi Knight was the very last thing on Mace's mind.

Plo Koon leaned forward. "I propose that we send two squadrons into the system. One can rescue the togruta population of Kiros while the other focuses on retrieving Skywalker." The Council nodded collectively, agreeing, until Obi-wan spoke up. "We have a problem. We don't know where the people of Kiros are located. I never learned the location of the facility that I was at. How will we find them?"

All eyes were on Obi-wan now. Yoda looked the ginger-haired Jedi in the eye and held his gaze for a while. "Close your eyes. What does the Force tell you?" Yoda prompted him. Obi-wan nodded and closed his eyes. He concentrated on the flow of the Force, awaiting any message it would see fit to tell him. "I see...lava. So much lava...spiraling clouds?...the planet looks purple...but what is it?" He concentrated harder, gritting his teeth and narrowing his eyes, knowing that the Council was watching him intently. He could hear the Force whispering in his ears. He saw the facility, the desperate togrutas and the cruel sneer of the zyrgerrian who had enslaved them. Finally, he got what he needed.

"Kadavo system. The people of Kiros are in the Kadavo System."

**FR**

Pain exploded in Anakin's side and he gritted his teeth as the knife sliced through his skin. After he had finished telling Obi-wan to take care of the others, he had been returned to his cell for 'processing.' Already weakened from his earlier restraints and the lingering effects of the whips, the Jedi had little to no fight left and wasn't providing much resistance to the torture being inflicted upon his body. His lack of reaction continued to frustrate the zygerrians initiating his processing. They had whipped him, beat him, cut him, and Anakin was pretty sure that he had a broken rib.

After receiving several more cuts and bruises, Anakin was removed from his cell and dragged down the long corridors of the palace until he reached the throne room. From there he was flung to the floor, landing on his hands and knees at the feet of the Queen. Her slaver guest had long since left, leaving the Queen to supervise her new slave's torture.

Anakin was glad that Obi-wan couldn't see him now. He hated showing weakness. It made him feel vulnerable, exposed. He didn't like showing others the true fears and weaknesses he possessed. Those were buried too deep and locked up too tight for even Padme or Obi-wan to know about them, and he didn't plan on letting the Queen of Zyrgerria into the sacred place inside of his soul. He curled his lip as he heard the sickly sweet voice of he Queen from above him.

"Good. Very good. You are adjusting quite nicely, although I think more processing will be required, don't you agree?" Without looking up at her, Anakin knew she was smiling. His eyes hardened and he forced himself to his feet. His blue orbs were small hurricanes of fury, projecting as much anger as possible at the slime standing before him. He knew she relished his service, but she was drunk with his pain, absorbing every ounce like the wretched sand on Tatooine. _The desert is merciless. It takes everything from you. _Only now did Anakin realize the full truth of his words. The desert _had_ taken everything-his mother, his freedom, his self-control, for he had slaughtered the tuskens without a second thought, as well as his pride. He had been so afraid Ahsoka was going to die fighting those droids. Tatooine really brought out the worst in him.

His voice was as cold as steel when he spoke. "If you enjoy it so much, why don't you try it?"

The Jedi's snide remark earned him a sharp kick in the ribs, and he cried out, collapsing onto his side and groaning in agony. He felt rough hands loop themselves around his forearms and force him to stand, pulling him up roughly. Anakin heard the soft footsteps and the swish of fabric indicating her approach towards him. Miraj's cold, claw-like fingers curled around his chin, and he tried not to flinch. His chin cupped firmly in her palm, she slowly raised his head, forcing him to look her in the eyes. Anakin tried not to look at his face reflected in her golden depths, knowing what he would see there: a man who had given up all hope, someone with sadness, despair, futility and regret his only companions Anakin wasn't sure which was worse: knowing the feelings inside himself or knowing the emotions that he saw in Queen Miraj's eyes. Her golden abysses were so full of an immeasurable longing for greed and an insatiable hunger for power. But there was something else, he knew. A feeling that he couldn't identify. She gazed at the Jedi for several long moments before releasing her hold, allowing her hand to drop to her side.

"Have his wounds treated. I wan't him in perfect condition for tomorrow," she ordered sharply, her voice piercing silence like a knife. She looked at the zyrgerrians holding up Anakin, who hastily nodded and dragged him out of the room to have his wounds treated.

After his injuries had been taken care of, Anakin was taken to his new living quarters. They consisted of a small bed, a dresser to hold his few possessions, a small closet and a 'fresher. Inside the closet were multiple pairs of clothing, identical to the attire he was wearing at the moment.

Completing the brief exploration of his new quarters, an exhausted Anakin Skywalker stripped to suitable sleepwear and laid down on the bed. It was surprisingly comfortable, considering the conditions he was in. As he began to drift off to sleep, he pondered what the other emotion was that he had seen in the Queen's eyes. Just as he was about to fall asleep, the thought came to him.

He jerked up, his body shivering involuntarily. He knew what he had seen in the Queen's eyes. Finally getting over his initial shock, the Jedi curled his lip in revulsion. He knew what that unknown feeling was, and knwe it all too well.

_Lust._


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**Hello my faithful readers and reviewers. Thanks for taking the time to read and add my story to your favorites and story alerts. I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to update. And don't worry, I'm not going to make _that _happen between Anakin and the Queen. Eew. I don't own Star Wars, but I do own Commander Jet. **

Padme Amidala holstered the blaster in the belt at her waist. Patting it affectionately, she tugged her pants up and checked her appearance in the mirror. The form-fitting white bodysuit was snug but allowed her to move freely. Knee-high boots accentuated her slender calves, but were still comfy. Her hair had been pulled into a tight bun and was pulled out of the way of her face, which bore a look of grim determination. She _would _save her husband, no matter what the cost. She wasn't exactly sure how, but she knew that she would. Padme then strapped a knife to her thigh, and walked out to greet her clone troopers.

She walked towards them purposefully, standing tall and strong. Upon seeing Padme approach, the clones stood at attention. "At ease," she dismissed them. At this the clones relaxed. The leader of the clones, Commander Jet, stepped forward. "Senator, what are your orders?"

Padme smiled thinly, but there was little humor in it. "Get the boys ready, Jet," she addressed him.

Her grin widened. "Because we're going to have some fun."

**FR**

"Rex, are the troops ready to move out?" Obi-wan asked as he walked up to the captain. Rex nodded stiffly. "Yes, sir. The men are ready and waiting." Obi-wan returned the nod. "Good. Let them know we'll be leaving in ten minutes, tops."

"Yes, sir," Rex replied, and walked off to alert the men. Having completed that task, Obi-wan began searching the hangar for Plo Koon and Ahsoka, who were coming with him on the rescue operation. He soon spotted Ahsoka talking to Master Plo, who was prepping his starfighter. Hearing Obi-wan approach, Ahsoka looked up and smiled. "Hey, Master Kenobi," she greeted him.

He acknowledged her greeting with a nod, before turning to Plo Koon. "Are your fighters ready?"

Plo Koon nodded confirmation. "If your men are ready, we can leave," he answered.

In less than five minutes, the rescue operation had made the jump to hyperspace, en route to Zygerria.

**FR**

Anakin groaned, his head lolling to the side in pain. _Another day, another 'processing' session._ As the whip struck his side, he gritted his teeth, refusing to cry out. Refusing to show weakness.

He had hated this mission as soon as he had found out this wretched species of slavers was involved. He had felt sick to his stomach when he had to pose as Lars Quell to get close to the queen, and he was and would be forever disgusted by what he did to get close to her. Hopefully Padme would forgive him if she found out.

The one emotion that Anakin felt the most was guilt. He felt guilty for not being able to defeat the guards at the auction. Guilty for not being able to do anything while Rex, Obi-wan, and Ahsoka were forced to live as slaves. Guilty for letting the others being involved in the mission, period. Guilt was such a terrible feeling to possess. It consumes your soul, not allowing you to think of anything else. It weighs you down, an eternal burden laying on your shoulders. It smothered his senses, clogging his nose and blurring his eyesight and placing a foul taste in his mouth. With every crack of the whip upon his back, every slice the knife made in his skin, every blow delivered, all he heard was the word _failure _pounding in his ears.

The whip cracked again, splitting the skin on his back open. He screamed.

_Failure failure failure_

They called him 'the Hero with No Fear.' How wrong they were. How ignorant. No one knew just how much he feared for those he cared about. The Republic looked at him and saw a hero. He was no hero. After all he'd done? After all the people he'd killed, after the tuskens that he had slaughtered? If they had seen him then, would they call him a hero?

But the Republic hadn't seen him then. The people didn't know how much he struggled under the ever distrusting eyes of the Jedi Council, how much he had strayed from the sacred Jedi Code. The Republic looked at him and saw what they wanted to see. They created an image of a fearless warrior who had come to save them and restore peace to the galaxy, who defeated any opponent that he faced with ease. No, the people of the Republic knew _nothing _about him.

_Failure failure failure_

Why was the Force so cruel? Why did it seem that he was destined to suffer? He had tried so hard to protect those he loved, yet it all seemed to be in vain. He was forced to stand by and watch Padme nearly die from the Bllue shadow Virus, made to search fruitlessly for hours on end when Ahsoka was kidnapped by trandoshans, and watched helplessly when Cad Bane had held her hostage. He could do nothing to stop those he loved from being in pain.

_Failure failure failure_

His eyesight blurred from the constant torture being inflicted upon him. Electricity coursed through his body as an electrostaff was plunged into his stomach. His body arced back in response to the pain, and another scream ripped through his throat. His tattered clothing rubbed up against his bleeding skin, and he hissed in pain.

His body slackened as he drifted ever closer to the awaiting darkness. His head collapsed onto his chest, and he allowed unconsciousness to take him.

_Failure failure failure_

Just before he went under, he felt several presences in the Force coming towards Zygerria, and he also heard their intentions as clearly as if they had been spoken aloud. They were coming for him.

_Failure failure failure_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**Here it is! The long awaited chapter 8! I'm so sorry for the long wait. Writers block is a big pain in the tail.**

Anakin Skywalker had impressed Miraj from the start. His disguise as Lars Quell had been clever. His deception had convinced her completely. Skywalker's determination to withstand the pain of the electricity was incredible. It had taken five whips to subdue him! _Five! _The others had only fell after one taste of electricity. He was quite the warrior. She was also impressed by the terms that he had proposed to free his friends, which had been very specific, ensuring their freedom. Yes, Anakin Skywalker was an exceptional man, one the Republic wouldn't be eager to lose. Because of this knowledge, Miraj wasn't surprised when Atai came to her saying that a Republic fleet was above Zygerria at the moment, preparing to attack.

No, she wasn't surprised at all, but that didn't mean that she was just going to sit back and let the Republic take her slave from her. No, she was going to crush the Republic's attempt to rescue Skywalker. She was quite confident that she could defeat the Jedi and their pathetic little clones, but if she couldn't, if she saw the slightest possibility that Skywalker would be taken from her, he would die. If she couldn't have him, no one would. Miraj hoped it wouldn't come to that, though. She _wanted _him. That was part of what was keeping him alive. That, and the fact that she planned to use Skywalker to help fulfill her plans for an army of Jedi in her service. But if that didn't work, he was replaceable. He wasn't absolutely _necessary _to her plans.

She smiled wickedly. Either way, the people of the Republic wouldn't know what hit them.

**FR**

Obi-Wan watched as the Jedi Cruiser grew closer and closer to Zygerria. To anyone who did not know him, he seemed thoughtful. His hand rested on his ginger beard, gently stroking it every few minutes. His stance seemed relaxed. He looked like he had everything under control and knew exactly what to expect. That's how he would look to a stranger. Anyone who knew him well would tell the stranger that they were wrong by a long shot. He wasn't thoughtful, he was tense. His stance wasn't relaxed, it screamed of exhaustion. He didn't have anything under his control and had absolutely no idea what to expect. The Jedi didn't know what he'd find when he landed on Zygerria. Hopefully Anakin. Hopefully he'd find his former Padawan _alive._

Hope. It was all he could do now. Hope the plan to rescue the slaves succeeded. Hope no one got hurt in the process. Hope Anakin was alright, hope that they got there in time. Hope. It was all he had and not what he needed.

Just as they were about to disembark from the ship, Obi-wan sensed a familiar presence. What in the name of the Force was Padme Amidala doing here?

**FR**

Blaster bolts peppered the air as the clones advanced into the streets of Zygerria, with Padme Amidala in the lead. With every step, she knew that she was getting ever closer to rescuing her husband from that _witch. _If Padme ever got her hands on her...

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. _Focus. Anakin needs you now. You can deal with the Queen later. _She couldn't give up. With deadly accuracy, she aimed her blaster and shot a Zygerrian soldier in the head, and he crumpled to the ground. The clones surged forward, easily dispatching several Zygerrian guards threatening to shoot them. Slaves and other Zygerrian citizens fled, terrified, when they saw the clones rampaging through the city, but the clones ignored the retreating people. Their goal wasn't to destroy the city: it was to infiltrate the palace and find the Queen. Having been a Queen herself, Padme had a pretty good idea of where to find Queen Miraj Scintel. There was a problem, though. First they had to get in. When they found the Queen, they would have to dispose of her security force so she could be captured. Except that wasn't the problem. The problem was finding Anakin. No doubt he was being heavily guarded, since the Queen wouldn't want to give him up without a fight. Perhaps he was being kept in a prison cell. There were hundreds of possibilities, and plenty of danger. The danger wasn't what scared her, though.

What scared her was the possibility that Anakin might be dead.

**FR**

The same possibility that was scaring Padme Amidala was tearing Ahsoka Tano apart. She wanted to be on the strike team that was going to rescue Anakin, but she had been told to assist Plo Koon in the rescue of the togrutan colonists. This task was extremely important to her as well, since it was her people that had disappeared, but she still wanted to help Master Kenobi rescue Anakin. The plan was that Master Plo would lead an air strike, she and Rex would infiltrate the facility, while Master Kenobi and Commander Cody would rescue Anakin.

The Gunship touched down outside the facility, and Ahsoka tensed, ready for action. Beside her, Rex clenched his fist, and Ahsoka imagined his knuckles whitening under his gloves. She counted off the seconds until the doors opened in her head. _Seven, six, five..._

The troopers readied their blasters. _Four, three, two... _she ignited her lightsaber._ One..._

The doors opened. Immediately they raced out into the sea of blaster fire. Ahsoka's lightsaber was a blur as she deflected blaster bolts. Beside her, she heard Rex shouting out orders to the men. Blaster fire filled the air, leaving behind burns and the smell of smoke. A grenade flew through the air, destroying the door. Looking up, she saw master Plo's squadron flying overhead.

"May the Force be with you," she whispered, even though she knew he couldn't hear her.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**Here you go! Hopefully this makes up for the long wait between chapters! I'm going to be brief with the rescue of the people of Kiros, because who cares about them anyway? No offense to those who do, but c'mon, we all know you're really here for Anakin. Don't worry, he's in this chappie.**

They'd finally broken through. As the doors to the Palace burst open and clones swarmed through the halls, Padme couldn't help but feel a little smug as she raced down the long corridors to the throne room, dispatching zygerrians as she ran. Did they really believe that they could keep her from her husband? Were they so naïve to think that they could keep her from her husband, the other half of her heart? They thought they could deprive her of the very being that kept her breathing one more breath, kept her heart beating one more time? Fools. Imbeciles.

Padme wasn't exactly sure what to do now that she was inside the palace. She honestly wasn't expecting to get past the Zygerrian guards in the streets, let alone make it all the way into the throne room. Padme frowned, contemplating the situation. Her face brightened as she thought of a plan. If this worked, she would have Anakin back with her, safe and sound, where he belonged.

"Split up!" she shouted. "This half come with me. Jet, take the other half and search the lower levels. You know what we're looking for!" They had been briefed beforehand on the situation (of course leaving out the personal details) and were ready for action. Padme had a good feeling that her plan was going to succeed as the distance between them and the throne room, and the Queen, quickly decreased.

**FR**

The throne room was fairly quiet when Atai Molec arrived, save for the twittering of small birds. The Queen lounged in her throne, stroking one of the creatures affectionately. He approached the throne and waited. After a few minutes, the Queen encouraged the bird to leave its' perch on her finger and reached for a goblet on the armrest of her throne. Swirling the liquid in her glass around, she said, "the Republic is getting too close." Miraj looked up, her penetrating gaze meeting his eyes.

"You know what to do."

That was all Atai needed to hear. With that, he bowed and strode from the throne room.

**FR**

The rescue operation had been a success. Hand on her hip and a grin on her face, Ahsoka Tano assessed the wellbeing of her people. They all seemed to be fine. A little worse for wear, but who wouldn't be, coming out of an ordeal like this?

Smiling again, she reflected on the events during the rescue mission. After the door to the had exploded, Ahsoka and Rex had taken care of the zygerrian guards inside. They made their way deeper into the facility where they found the keeper. He was killed by Rex, but not before he destroyed the controls for the cell the slaves were in. Eventually, Ahsoka reached the slaves and ordered a cruiser to come underneath the facility. They boarded the cruiser and took off, with no need to worry about the cannons surrounding the facility. Master Plo told her that a clone took control of one and destroyed the rest. As they fled, they fired upon the facility, sending it crashing down into the pit below it. Now they sped toward Coruscant, safe aboard the cruiser.

**FR**

The same couldn't be said for Anakin. He was far from safe, kept in the bowels of the palace in the dungeon. His body ached and his wounds stung and he had been having a _terrible _time sleeping the past few nights. He dreamt, and that was the problem. His dreams were never just _dreams._ They always had to have some sort of twisted explanation and they were almost always visions of the future. Sometimes, when you get the benefits of having messed up dreams, being a Jedi sucked.

He was pulled out of his reverie by the squeal of his cell door opening. He squinted, not used to the sudden brightness of the light pouring into his cell. He felt arms grab him and he was suddenly being pulled up roughly. He groaned as his body protested to the sudden movement. One of the guards snickered, relishing in his pain.

They dragged him up and out of the dungeon. They must have gone through some secret passageway, because the passage that they were dragging him through looked old and disused. Eventually, hey reached what looked like a dead end, but a guard turned to the right and opened a hidden door in the wall. They tossed him into the room, leaving him to land hard on his stomach, making him gasp. A shadow fell over him, and he looked up into the sneering face of Atai Molec.

"Your usefulness to the Queen has come to an end." His lip curled in anticipation. "She has ordered you execution by whatever means I choose. I, being a man of honor, have chosen to give you a fair fight. Here," he tossed Anakin his lightsaber, "take your weapon, and prepare to fall by my blade."

Quicker than you could say 'sithspit,' there was a long vibro-blade in his opponent's hand. Anakin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "You really think you can beat me with that?" he asked, igniting his saber.

Electricity crackled as Anakin's lightsaber connected with Atai Molec's vibro-blade. To Anakin's surprise, the blade didn't snap in two upon contact. His opponent sneered at the expression of awe on Anakin's face.

"Didn't expect that, did you?" he spat venomously. Anakin didn't answer, channelling his energy into the battle.

Block. Slash. Parry.

"It's called genar. My own personal creation. It can withstand any weapon- _especially _lightsabers." Atai grinned wickedly, his teeth glinting in the light. "The Jedi destroyed our slave empire long ago. They will not do so again. I doubt that they will try when they see your dead body rotting in the streets!"

"You really think you're going beat me?" Anakin scoffed, trying to keep up his act of bravado. He knew he couldn't win. He was far too weak to defeat the zygerrian, and he was suffering from the lack of sleep. His opponent, on the other hand, looked to be very strong and very refreshed.

The zygerrian's grin widened. "On the contrary." Kicking out, he swept Anakin's feet out from under him. Anakin fell, landing on his back with a yelp of pain. His wounds hadn't healed completely. His limbs splayed out, knocking his lightsaber from his hand upon hitting the ground. Reaching out with the Force, he attempted to call it back to him. Too late. "I know I will," Molec finished.

The blade pierced his chest.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

**Thank you all for your reviews! I truly appreciate them. To everyone who is worried about Anakin, your question will be answered. Please don't explode from anticipation. Then you can't review.**

The bond was breaking. Obi-Wan stumbled out of the cruiser, falling to his knees and clutching his head in agony.

It had happened so fast. First, there was a burning pain. Then, it felt like he was being stuck with needles over and over again. In his mind, the glowing rope that tied them together was fraying. The threads were snapping, one by one, and yet they snapped all at once. This type of pain felt so similar, and yet so different. Of course it felt similar. It had happened before. This wasn't the same, though. The burning pain was the same, but last time the bond had snapped almost all at once, with barely a trickle left behind, and then...gone. So similar, yet so different. So very different.

This was the second time Obi-wan had felt a bond break. All the pain he had felt over ten years ago was coming back full force, with some extra. He was again losing someone close to him, and there was nothing he could do about it. Silently, he begged to the Force not to take his brother from him, to not take his son away. Surprisingly, he felt the Force answer his plea, but he didn't understand what it was saying. Whatever the Force was trying to tell him, he hoped it was that Anakin would live. He didn't know if he could bear to lose him. And if he was alive when Obi-wan found him, he hoped his Padawan didn't want Ahsoka to train another initiate in his name as a dying wish. He really didn't want that to become a tradition.

Taking a deep breath, the Jedi Master stood up. He had to get moving if he was going to reach his Padawan, if he was even alive when he got there. As quickly as that thought had come, Obi-Wan shook it off. _He will be,_ he reassured himself. _He will be._

**FR**

Cody had to admit, he was worried. He hadn't learned a lot about the Jedi, but he knew enough. Enough to know that when a Jedi was in pain mentally, it was serious. After a moment, General Kenobi stood up and, having noticed Cody's concerned look, gave him a weak smile. That did nothing to ease Cody's worry, and he cocked an eyebrow at the Jedi's pathetic attempt to reassure him. The longer he thought about it, though, the more the clone commander realized that as hard as Kenobi was trying to reassure the commander and the other clones that everything would be okay, he was trying even harder to reassure himself.

**FR**

No zygerrians were visible outside the throne room. Any guards in the palace had been quickly and silently disposed of so the Queen wouldn't be alerted to the presence of her uninvited guests. Running as quickly and as silently as they could, Padme and the clones went towards the elaborately decorated entrance to the throne room. Upon reaching it, they pressed themselves to the walls on either side of the door. Padme held up a hand, silently telling the others to wait. She listened for a moment, before she she clenched her fist. The signal given, the clones backed up and blasted the doors open.

The throne room was elegant, to say the least. If the situation wasn't so dire, Padme would have stopped to admire the elegantly curing archways and the columns made of smooth, polished stone. Instead, she focused on the sole being in the room, aside from themselves: Queen Miraj Scintel. She was beautiful in a hard sort of way, Padme noticed, similar to a masterpiece carved out of stone. Exquisite, yet hard and cold. As the Senator continued to examine her adversary, their eyes met. Those glittering gold eyes would have pretty had they not been glittering with greed and ambition, and Padme had the feeling that any smile on her face would be a smirk.

Neither woman spoke as they held each others gaze. Around them, the other occupants of the room stood deathly still, seeming not even daring to breathe if it would shatter the icy silence they stood in. The Queen seemed to scrutinize Padme as if she were on trial, and the Queen was the judge, deciding what her sentence would be. After a tense silence, the zygerrian finally spoke.

"The Republic sent you. To rescue Skywalker, no doubt."

If looks could kill, the Queen would be most certainly dead from the look Padme was giving her. The Nabooian Senator tightened her grip on her blaster, turning her knuckles white. "No one _sent_ me. I came of my own accord."

The Queen simply brushed her words off with a wave of her hand. "Whichever. I don't know and don't care who made the decision for you to come here. But I do know that it is too late for Master Skywalker." Through all this, Miraj's expression did not change, remaining an indifferent mask. Padme's eyes became slits when she mentioned Anakin. "What have you done with him?" she growled. The Queen reached for a glass resting an the armrest of her throne, and began to study the contents. "I am surprised a senator would care so much for a Jedi." "You didn't answer my question!" Padme spat. As much as she tried to hide it, the hand gripping her blaster began to tremble. "No," the Queen answered, smirking, "I didn't."

This answer only aggrivated Padme further. With her empty hand, she began to reach down, where a dagger was strapped to her thigh. She was slightly comforted when she felt the cool metal of the hilt in her hand. She wrapped her fingers around it, gripping it thghtly. "I will ask you one more time," she ground out, fighting to keep her voice even. "What happened to Anakin Skywalker?" Finally the Queen's indifferent facade dropped, and she sneered at Padme."

"I told you: it's too late for him. He's dead."

_He's dead...dead...dead. _The words repeated themselves over and over again in her head, an echoing mantra. "No..." she whispered. He wasn't. He couldn't be! Padme just stood there in shock. She didn't know for how long. Hours? Minutes? However long it was, she was pulled out of her stunned silence by something she never expected:

"It appears that you are mistaken, your Highness, because I am very much alive."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

**Oooooooo! Didn't expect that, didya? Well, your question has finally been answered! He's alive!**

**xpig-in-the-skyx: he was stabbed in the chest. Of course the bond is breaking. The Queen wanted him, but he wouldnt be useful if the republic rescued him, so she ordered his death.**

_Anakin groaned. He lay facedown on the floor, hardly aware of anything except the pain. His insides felt like they were on fire, a fire which had slowly spread throughout his body so now he hurt everywhere. He knew he was dying. There was no question about it. Honestly, no one could survive a knife to the chest without immediate medical attention, and Anakin knew he wasn't going to get that. Apparently 'his usefulness to the Queen had come to an end,' so she wouldn't give him any medical attention. And even if whomever was coming for him actually found him, they most likely wouldn't have medical supplies, and by the time they got some, he would be long gone. So, he embraced the possibility of his imminent death._

_But that was before he knew that Padme was in the he sensed her presence, he smiled. He should have known that nothing would prevent his beautiful wife from coming to his rescue. She was too stubborn to just sit tight in the Senate building, waiting for news. Reaching out with the Force, he tried to get a feeling for where she was. He nearly passed out when he realized that she was closing in on the throne room. Oh dear..._

_Wincing in pain, Anakin slowly pushed himself to his knees. He felt so weak. From there, he slowly got to his feet, his chest searing in pain when he stood up. He gasped and clutched his chest, his face a contorted mask of pain. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to move across the room and wave his hand to open the door. He didn't know how to get to the throne room from...wherever he was, but he let the Force guide him instead._

_Eventually, he found himself at the entrance to the throne room. He was surprised to hear voices coming from within. Looking inside, he saw his beautiful wife standing there, blaster in hand, glaring at the Queen. "I will ask you one more time," Padme growled, clearly not in a good mood. "What happened to Anakin Skywalker?" Anakin said nothing. It was best to listen and hear what the Queen had to say before rushing in. _

_His patience was soon rewarded as the Queen graced Padme with her answer. "I told you- it's too late for him. He is dead."_

_Anakin didn't need to be Force-sensitive to feel the anguish and agony he knew Padme was feeling now. It washed over him like a tidal wave, engulfing him in it's cold embrace. No, he couldn't wait anymore. It was time to reveal himself. _

_Taking a deep breath, Anakin took a step forward and, still clutching his wound, leaned heavily on the doorway to support himself. No one noticed him. Well, then, maybe he would have to be a little more obvious._

"_It appears that you are mistaken, your Highness, because I am very much alive."_

Simultaneously, the Queen and Padme snapped their heads up to look at him. For a moment, everything was silent as the two women tried to register exactly what had happened. And then that moment ended.

"Ani!" Padme cried, and flung herself on him. Anakin staggered as he felt the unexpected weight crash into his chest, and let out a small gasp. Surprised, Padme pulled away, her angelic features marred with concern. "Anakin, what's wrong?"

_I'm dying. That's what's wrong. I can literally feel the life leaving my body, _he thought. He couldn't tell her that, though. His eyes met hers, and he gave her a weak smile. She didn't buy it. He dropped the 'i'm okay, don't worry about me' act and sighed, looking away. He gently pushed her away from him and slowly removed his hand from his wound. Blood stained his fingertips.


	12. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

**Hello! Please don't kill me! I'm so sorry about the long wait for chapter 12. I promise you, I am working on it! It'll be up soon! But first, I desperately need the input of you, my faithful readers. I have a problem that I need solving. Two, actually. Okay, I should just get on with it. Problem number one: what should happen to the Queen? Do you want her to die? If so, how? And second, I know that we are all aware of Anakin's on-the-brink-of-death status. So... should I be nice and let him live? Or should I be absolutely evil and kill him off? Because he is rather mortally wounded at the moment...**

**Please help! I would _really _appreciate it. Also, put in any suggestions about the plot that you have., if you can.**


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

**Hey! Sorry for the wait! Don't kill me, please! I've just been really busy with school and life and everything...sorry. Just please R&R.**

Padme gasped softly. Slowly, her eyes left the wound and met Anakin's eyes. For a moment, neither one of them knew what to say. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, before she finally decided to close it, her jaw set. Her eyes hardened with determination.

"You're going to be fine," she ground out. She _couldn't _show weakness. Not now. Not in front of _her. _That wench...she was going to pay. "You're fine," she reapeated. She looked up, into those beautiful blue eyes of his. She could see all his love for her in them, as if he was trying to tell her everything she knew and everything he could never say. He smiled sadly, shaking his head.

"Don't lie to yourself, Padme. I know I'm not," he whispered. _God_, why did he have to be so _noble? _If he wasn't then this whole thing never would have happened. He wouldn't be bleeding out while she watched, not able to do anything. She hadn't anticipated him being injured, so she hadn't brought any medical supplies. And Anakin would die if he didn't get help within the hour.

**FR**

Obi-Wan knew he had to hurry. The bond was dissolving more every second, and the Force was practically screaming at him to run. And run he did. He sprinted so fast his legs burned and his chest heaved. He barely glanced at the bodies of the zygerrians that littered the streets, his focus only on the man whose life force was dwindling with each agonizing second that passed. His Padawan, his brother, his son was dying and there was nothing he could do about it.

Why was he destined to suffer? To lose everyone he cared about? Siri, Cerasi, Qui-Gon... everyone that had ever meant anything to him was gone. All of them had died before their time, and now Anakin was dying too. The last time Obi-Wan felt this desparate was when he was trapped behind the ray shields and watcheed his Master die.

There was one thing that Obi-wan knew for sure as he entered the throne room, Cody and other clones close behind. He wasn't going to watch Anakin die. This vow was only reinforced when he saw Anakin being supported by senator Amidala. He didn't look too good. Obi-wan ran up, supporting Anakin's other side. He glanced at his friend's wound and his bloodstained clothes. Not good. Not good at all.

"I thought I told you not to come after me," Anakin said, turning to look at him. Force, even that looked painful. Obi-Wan smiled slightly in response. "I decided to take a lesson from you and decided not to listen."

Anakin glared at him, Obi-Wan knew he wasn't really angry. Just tired and in pain and dying. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I guess this counts as another time I've saved your life, Padawan?" Anakin smirked in response and began to reply, but stopped, his face frozen in a look of fear.

Obi-Wan was suddenly very worried. "Anakin?" he asked.

"Move!" Anakin cried, and shoved Obi-Wan aside.

The squeal of a blaster. A flash of light. A scream as a body falls to the floor.

Silence.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13

Step. Step. Step. Turn. Step. Step. Step. Turn. Obi-Wan paced back and forth, as he had been doing for a half an hour now, his left arm grasping his right behind his back. Sitting in a chair outside Anakin's hospital room, Ahsoka looked on worriedly.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" She whispered. Obi-Wan stopped his pacing and turned to look at her. Then he sighed and looked out the window of the Jedi Temple at the Coruscant night. The image of Anakin crashing to the floor flashed in his mind. "I have gone on many missions with Anakin. One thing that has always been consistent is Anakin's recklessness." At this, they both chuckled, remembering their respective missions with the Jedi Knight, but quickly grew somber. "Yes," Obi-Wan said. "Always so reckless. Sometimes it was an asset, but most other times is was a liability, and this time..." he hesitated.

"This time?" Ahsoka prompted. She didn't know why she did, though. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. As she watched, Obi-Wan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He was silent for a few minutes, and Ahsoka had almost given up on getting an answer out of him before he whispered so quietly that she barely heard him: "this time I think that recklessness will kill him."

After that, they just sat in silence until the healer arrived.

**FR**

Healer Kori Avon sighed, paying no attention to the other healers in the room. What she wouldn't give for peace. Too long had Jedi come into her ward with terrible wounds of war. Many had been severe. This one...she just wasn't sure. _No one _should be able to survive a stab wound for this long, let alone a blaster wound on top of that. Yet, somehow, Skywalker had survived so far, and if she had anything to say about it, he was going to stay that way.

Leaning over her patient, Kori frowned. This was going to be tricky to treat. He needed a lot more than bacta to save him. The knife wound looked deep, and the blaster wound...just don't ask. Not to mention the scars and lashes crisscrossing his back and chest. Bacta would do for those, but she wasn't sure about his more serious injuries. Just as quickly as her confidence had come, it vanished, and the seed of doubt grew in her mind. These wounds were serious. Would she really be able to save him? She shrugged these thoughts off. Of course she would save him. Turning to the various medical equipment, she scanned the screens, and the Force, for anything unusual. Nothing. Wait...what was that?

Her face paled as she realized what it was. "No!" she cursed. How could she have missed it? A second later, the heart monitor began to wail. Healers came rushing in. "He's going into cardiac arrest!" "Move it! We've got to help him." "Charge it!"

Charged up, she places the mechanism on his chest. "Clear!" Anakin's body arcs up. "Clear!" Again.

Outside, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka are frozen, praying to the Force to save him, to keep the man in the Healers Ward alive.

"Clear!" Kori cried. Again. And again.

And all the while, the heart monitor wailed on.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14

This wasn'thappening. This _ couldn't be_ happening. Ahsoka didn't want to believe it, but it was true. Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, former padawan of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Chosen One, the Hero with No Fear, her Master was dying.

That hit her the hardest. Ahsoka had always known that her Master would die someday, since death was a natural part of life. Force, he'd nearly died when they crashed onto the Lurmen planet. It came hand in hand with Anakin's reckless nature and impulsiveness, but never did she think that he would die because of it. There had been many close calls, yes, but everything had always turned out okay.

Anakin had always been able to pull through.

He wasn't now. The flat line remained. The healers stopped trying to revive him, and Anakin lay motionless on the table. His head turned to the side with his eyes closed, one arm dangling over the edge. He just laid there as the healers began to move away, murmuring quietly to each other. They were giving up.

Ahsoka noticed this, and something snapped inside her. She jumped out of her chair and sprinted to Anakin's room, the fire of determination in her eyes. Vaguely, she registered Master Kenobi calling after her and the healers telling her it was too late. She ignored all of this and dove into the Force, searching for the rope that bound her to her Master.

She gasped when she saw it. The usual supernova of light and strength in her mind that was her Master was now a dim flicker. As she watched, the flickers began to happen less and less frequently, and the light seemed to get dimmer. Anakin was letting go. He was about to be lost forever, never to come back. He was giving up.

Well, she sure as heck wasn't. Fueled with a new sense of purpose, she called on the Force, letting it flow through her. She placed her hands on Anakin's chest and sent bursts of healing energy through him, imagining the damaged tissue repairing, the wounds closing, the flesh knitting back together. With each burst of energy, she shouted at him.

"Come on, Master! After all we've been through, there's no way I'm going to let you die on me! You and your _crazy_ plans and your _idiotic _teachings and..." She was running out of ideas. "...and your _stupid _haircut! Don't you dare die! Come on! _Come on!"_

Nothing. The flat line remained. Anakin hadn't moved. The light continued to fade. It wasn't working. Ahsoka broke into sobs, falling to her knees in grief. Her Master was gone. Reaching up and taking the hand dangling over the edge of the table in hers, she pressed her face into Anakin's arm. After all they had been through, she didn't believe that it would end like this. She prayed to the Force that this as just a nightmare, that it wasn't happening. She would wake up and fine herself safe in her quarters in the Jedi Temple. Anakin would come and get her, and then they would go train. It was just a nightmare. That's all it was. Just a nightmare...

Ahsoka must have been dreaming, because she could've sworn that she felt a slight squeeze on her hand. She dismissed it. It wasn't real. But then she felt it again. Raising her head, she looked at her Master. Could it be...?

_No. _It couldn't. She wouldn't allow herself to get her hopes up only to have them shattered again. But then she heard it. His voice.

"I had a dream..." the voice rasped, throat dry from lack of use. Blue eyes cracked open a fraction. "You were insulting me, Snips. Repeatedly." He frowned slightly. "Funny thing was, it kinda made sense."

Ahsoka threw herself onto him and hugged him as hard as she could, sobbing into his tunic. She felt strong arms wrap around her and a head gently rest on top of her head.

The nightmare was over. The dream was beginning.


	16. Chapter 16

Fading Reluctance 15

**Here you go! The final chapter! This is the end, the moment you've all been waiting for! Enjoy!**

_Two months later_

Obi-Wan watched as Anakin sparred with Ahsoka. Over the past two months Anakin had recovered quickly and was now back to his normal health, mostly due to Ahsoka. At that thought, Obi-Wan shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. Like Master, like Padawan. Ahsoka was just as reckless as Anakin. No one should be able to survive after being stabbed and shot in the chest. Anakin almost hadn't. Obi-Wan had given up when he felt the bond breaking. Ahsoka hadn't, though. She had refused to accept her Master's death, so she plunged into the Force and defied death itself to keep her Master in the world of the living. Obi-wan didn't know if he would've been able to do that. If he had...who knows how many he could have saved.

Anakin parried Ahsoka's saber, and disarmed her with one flick of his wrist. In one quick move, he deactivated the blue blade and stowed it on his belt. "Nice job, Snips," he congratulated her. "At the rate you're progressing, you'll be able to take down Grievous in no time." He smiled at her, and she blushed at the praise. "Thank you, Master," she responded. A smirk grew on her face. "You only won because you cheated, though."

Anakin's mouth dropped open, his smiling face turning into a look of mock horror. "Me? Cheat? Ahsoka, when did you come up with that _ridiculous _idea?" He turned to Obi-Wan then. "You've turned her against me, haven't you?" At this, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka broke into gales of laughter. "Oh, Anakin," Obi-Wan chuckled, "I've done many things, but far be it from me to do _that." _

At that moment, his comlink. The aged Jedi Master looked down at his comm, frowning. He pulled the offending device of his belt and answered it. "Kenobi here."

"Obi-Wan, you're needed in the Council Chambers as soon as you can get here," the always-serious voice of Master Windu answered.

Obi-Wan sighed inwardly. A Council meeting? Now? Resisting the childish impulse to whine about the inconvenience, he answered instead, "I'm on my way." With that, he ended the conversation. Looking at Anakin and Ahsoka, he smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry about this. How about a spar after the meeting? You still owe me a win after you cheated the last time we sparred." He turned and exited the room, Anakin still vehemently protesting the fact that he cheated. Yes, he would meet up with them after the meeting.

**FR**

Entering through the ornate doors, Obi-Wan walked into the Council Chamber, bowing to his fellow councilors. "Masters," he said, before taking his seat. Obi-Wan thought he would never be able to banish the feeling of profound wonder at being given such an honor.

Master Windu opened the meeting. "Thank you for coming at such a short notice, Master Kenobi. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

Obi-Wan shook off the apology. "There was no inconvenience at all, Master Windu."

Mace acknowledged his response with a nod. "We have a mission for you, should you choose to accept it, concerning a plot against the Chancellor..."

**Fading Reluctance**

**By Annabel Willow**

**Now Complete**


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